Shalimar Mall owner among 11 booked

Hina Rohtaki

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 9

After lying deserted for six years, the first mall of Panchkula — Shalimar Mall — has courted a controversy.

Buyers of the shops have alleged that even after paying the money, they have not been given the possession of the shops in the mall. An FIR pertaining to the “fraud” has been registered against 11 persons, including the owner of the mall and his wife.

The managing director and owner of the mall, RK Aggarwal, his wife Kamlesh Rani, thier son Innet Aggarwal and other managers have been booked under Sections 420, 406, 467,468, 471, 506 and 120 B of the IPC at the Sector 5 police station. The buyers have alleged that they have been duped of Rs 70 crore.

However, the Director (Sales) of the mall, Innet Aggarwal, alleged that the shop buyers were mostly property dealers, who were until now “enjoying a high premium”, but were creating a ruckus now as the rates had gone down.

Aggarwal said a similar complaint was lodged in December 2013 against them. However, an inquiry had given them a clean chit.

One of the buyers, Suman Rani, a resident of Sector 9, alleged that even after having paid over Rs 64 lakh for a shop, she had not been given the possession of the shop. There were nearly 80 other buyers like her who had been duped. “The buyers claimed that when they approached the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), they were told that the owner of the mall had allegedly not taken some clearances due to which the possession could not be handed over,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Dalip Singh, adding that the investigating was under way. However, the Director (Sales) Innet Aggarwal said, “We had already given possession to around 15 buyers. In case we had bad intentions, we would not have given possession to anybody. The buyers had purchased the shops for investment puposes, but now that there is a slump, they are creating a hue and cry.”